Strike action will affect Northern Rail services

Strike action by the RMT trade unionis due to take place from tomorrow (Monday, January 8) and it will affect Northern Rail services.

The strike action is set to ake place on Monday, January 8, Wednesday, January 10, and Friday, January 12. Northern Rail plan to run around 1,350 services each strike day, just more than 50 per cent of the normal timetable.

A statement from Northern Rail said: “We are focussed on running as many trains as possible between 7am and 7pm, to get you to work and home again.

“Between these hours we will run more than 60 per cent of our normal weekday timetable. We will also have replacement bus services available on some routes where trains aren’t running. We expect all services to be extremely busy, especially in the morning and evening peak periods.

“We advise you to allow extra time to travel and to plan your journeys carefully.”

Details of the revised timetables, as well as other information about the impact of the RMT strike action, can be found on Northern’s website at www.northernrailway.co.uk/strike. Train running information can also be found on the National Rail Enquires website www.nationalrail.co.uk.

A number of other train operating companies, including Arriva Trains Wales and East Midlands Trains will make additional stops on strike days. More detail of what is available from your station is available via online journey planners or by using the interactive station map on our strike webpage.

Please note that RMT strike action is also taking place next week on Greater Anglia, Merseyrail, Southern and South Western services.

You can also use your ticket on all Arriva bus services, including Yorkshire Tiger, to make journeys you would otherwise have made by rail. You can check Arriva bus availability here.

The statement added: “RMT’s strike action comes as we are in the process of modernising our network. The programme will see 98 new trains, 243 updated trains, faster and more frequent services, more space for customers, and better stations.

“We have to make changes to the on-board conductor role and in the future we want to make staff more visible and available.

“Northern is still prepared to guarantee jobs and pay for conductors for the next eight years if we can reach an agreement with RMT on how our colleagues can deliver better customer service.

“The Government has also guaranteed the employment of conductors beyond 2025 and into the next franchise if RMT ends its dispute.”

Customers who travel on January 8, 10 or 12, and experience delays of 30 minutes or more, can claim compensation through Northern’s Delay Repay scheme.

Those with season tickets that don’t include buses, trams or ferries, who decide not to travel due to strike action, can also claim compensation.

All claims can be made using the Delay Repay process on Northern’s website or by collecting a form at any staffed station.